Highmarch
Summary
The Commonwealth of Highmarch is a small and young land located at the heart of the East Continent, straddling the area where the hills and mountains rise up from the forests to the south and west and from the great plains to the north and east.
As a democracy all nobles are citizens and have a full say, and equal votes, in the governing of the realm. War and peace, the election of government officials, constitutional changes and the appointment of regional representatives and governors (OOC: region lords); in all of these it is the nobility who make the decisions, regardless of rank.
Lying at the crossroads of the continent, Highmarch is naturally likely to be in the frontline of any conflict and its military is organised accordingly. The realm was born as a friendly secession from Vix Tiramora and that realm remains its oldest, and closest, ally. Beyond that Highmarch strives to be honourable in all international dealings, to fight its enemies honestly on the battlefield, and to promote the spread of democracy across the continent.
Citizenship
Nobles of Highmarch are not tied to a specific liege-lord or ruler as they are in kingdoms. Rather, they are free to offer their services to a regional representative or governor in exchange for an estate, bringing them a place in society and a share of the tax raised from the region. Citizens are free to change estates, or even to leave the realm, whenever they wish.
Furthermore, citizenship gives a noble that most prized possession: A vote in the affairs of the realm.
Citizenship also brings extensive rights under the constitution, the right to raise a personal armed guard and the right to run for public office. It also brings the responsibility to serve the realm and provide military service in times of war.
As such, only a minority of the population are citizens. All citizens, in accordance with the natural order of creation, must be of noble birth for only nobility possess the courage, intelligence, honour and self-sacrifice necessary to make decisions for the enlightened government of the peasant masses. Additionally, only nobles from significant houses are awarded the right of citizenship.
The minor, local nobility may have their place in the administration of regions and the civil service but it is only after the accumulation of significant wealth or prestige that one of their house might be made a citizen (OOC: only noble, player characters are citizens).
Constitution
History
Creation
Highmarch began its life when the great democracy of Vix Tiramora had expanded so greatly during the First Greater Xavaxian war that its three Great Houses were no longer able to administer their vast lands.
As such, the citizens of Vix Tiramora voted to create a new realm out of the lands conquered from Caligus. In a series of referendums they decided upon its name, its form of government, its relationship with its parent realm and which of their number would form its initial realm council.
The decisions made were that the new realm would be a democracy, called Highmarch, be allied with Vix Tiramora and have Ricard De'Verci as its Vox (or ruler), Chester Barrett as its Knight Commander (or general), Jarin Vyanthi as its Quaestor (or judge) and Alfhelm Sussex as its Chief of Commerce (or banker). After its creation Highmarch would be free to amend its government and seek its own foreign policy, but it would be bound at first by the Grand Democratic Alliance Treaty.
Following these referendums, the duchy of Highmarch was created and duly seceded on 15.10.1017 during a lull in the fighting with the north. Its ranks were bolstered from the very beginning by refugees from the recently destroyed realm of First Oligarch with the promise of creating a new realm for them from the lands of Caligus once the war was won. Garas Gabanus, former ruler of First Oligarch, was appointed Marshal of the newly created army, the Democratic Defenders.
Upon its birth Highmarch immediately began to seek out alliances with other southern realms and swiftly suffered declarations of war against it by Caligus and Eponllyn.
In order to ensure an ample supply of food, the first actions of Highmarch were to takeover the rogue region of Nascot and, this done, they then marched to join their allies in the Second Greater Xavaxian war.
The Perdan Incident
Within days of Highmarch's creation the Duke of Perdan, Arthur Darkheller, stunned the continent by switching the allegiance of his duchy to Highmarch. He explained that his reason for doing so was due to being frustrated with the boredom and silence of the realm of Perdan, which itself was allied to Highmarch. In response to this, the King of Perdan, Ares Flame in turn defected with his duchy to the enemy realm of Eponllyn, including the vital border region of Bescanon which had been fortified to prevent a potential northern invasion force from crossing the river.
These events caused much consternation, especially since Duke Darkheller said his intentions were to secede from Highmarch to create a new realm as soon as it was possible to do so, and especially since the soft underbellies of Highmarch and Vix Tiramora had now been left vulnerable to northern attack due to the loss of Bescanon.
Fortunately, however, both Flame, Darkheller and the remaining Perdanese were persuaded to reconcile and so, after about a month in Highmarch, the duchy of Perdan rejoined the realm of Perdan and Ares Flame switched his duchy to Highmarch. Negotiations over whether all of their former regions would be returned to Perdan remained to be seen but the crisis had passed.
During this period Highmarch also took Aestus, Sordidus and Tokat from Caligus with the help of their allies.